Kamikuishiki, Former village in Nishiyatsushiro District, Japan
Kamikuishiki was a rural area in Yamanashi Prefecture that sat at the base of Mount Fuji and included two of the five Fuji Lakes. The landscape shifted between forested slopes and quiet lake shores, with only a few settlements dotting the wide territory.
The village formed in 1889 during Meiji-era administrative reforms and remained independent for over a century. Its existence ended in March 2006, when the territory split between Kofu city and Fujikawaguchiko town.
The name Kamikuishiki represents Japanese linguistic heritage, translating to 'up-nine-one-color' in the local dialect of Yamanashi Prefecture.
The former village territory now falls within the boundaries of two neighboring administrative areas in western Yamanashi. Visitors to the region will find hiking trails and viewpoints that once belonged to the village.
In May 1995, police forces raided a remote compound in this village and arrested the leader of a controversial religious group there. The incident brought the name of the small village into national news coverage.
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